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Apple Enters Media Center Domain
An anonymous reader writes "CNN has a story up describing Apple's new media center concept. The software takes on a classic Apple approach: simplicity. 'The program, called Front Row, lets you listen to music, watch videos, play DVDs and display photos from a distance with a few clicks of a lighter-sized, six-button remote control.'" More details available from ThinkSecret.
This isn't precisely a secret, however, and hasn't been for the months since it was introduced. :)
http://www.apple.com/imac/frontrow.html
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
There's a utility called "Frontrow Enabler" that will allow you to install FrontRow on any Mac, not just the iMac G5. The utility and instructions are here. You need Pacifist and the latest FrontRow Update from Apple.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
"Front Row doesn't display live TV"
That is pretty limited functionality. So, why would you hook this up to your TV?
>One thing that bugs me is the fact that you're stuck with their display
I think the Mac Mini demonstrates a willingness to abandon single source on displays. Good thing too, IMHO
Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
Five of buttons change the color of media center unit and one is for the mouse click.
Read the link to the article at Thinksecret. It's more than about Frontrow. The short paragraph linking to the article doesn't really describe it well. Really quite interesting about storage on iDisk and such.
sig here
"Apple Releases Front Row Media Software" is a news story. (Or, at the very least, a slashvertizement worth reading.)
"Somebody From CNN Write About Apple's Front Row Media Software, Which Was Released About A Month Ago" is the sort of submission that MacSlash and other "what Steve Jobs had for breakfast today is thrilling news to us" sites would probably reject.
I'd rather read a badly-written review of Front Row by some random slashbot (or a link to some techie-site review, like Ars) than another "OMG! Apple Matters So Much That CNN Is Writing About Their Software" submission. Come on, editors. You can do better.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
> The program, called Front Row, lets you listen to
I think NTL might have something to say about this name in the UK. Their pseudo-VoD system over cable is called Front Row.
So apparently this is a dupe, but it's the first I've seen of it, so I found it interesting. I looked at the picture of the remote here and I think I like it. Just the other day I was looking at one of those remotes that come with digital cable boxes these days, and there were way too many buttons there. To make matters worse, almost every remote these days has just about as many buttons, but they are generally organized differently, making it harder to switch TV's. How often do people visiting a friend's house have to ask their friend to do something like change the volume, because the remote is overly complicated? I like the idea of a remote with just a couple of buttons.
I hope this isn't supposed to be the surprise announcement for the MacWorld Expo in January. A friend of mine said the leading rumor is that Steve Jobs will introduce the Intel-based laptops six months before they were supposed to come out. I'm delaying my Mac laptop purchase to see if that rumor is true.
"a few clicks of a lighter-sized, six-button remote control."
shouldn't it just have 1 button?
I played around with this at CompUSA once, and while it's an interesting idea, there's one big flaw: that tiny remote is not only easy to lose (I dropped it behind the display area!), but it magnetically sticks to only ONE part of the monitor, and not in the most intuitive section (it was on the right side, which is bad for a sinistral fellow like myself, and it was too far down on the monitor when one expects to stick it higher up).
In other news, Apple is rumored to be working on an operating system that is based on BSD Unix and will have a user-friendly UI attached to it.
They are also thinking of getting into the music arena, possibly with portable MP3 players, but analysts say this is just crazy.
"Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
actually... what TFA is talking about is a new version of frontrow (2.0) which will be introduced in january along with a new media center edition mac mini (complete with ipod dock built in, possible tivo functionality etc).
it also looks like they're prepping lots of new content from several new cable networks and other sources. i wouldn't be surprised if pixar started making exclusive shorts for the itms (itunes music, er, media store)...
For a media centre it does not seem to have very many features, even if it is meant to be simple.
Here is what I use on my MythTV box that are not available for this:
- Watching live TV
- Scheduling recording of live TV
- Web interface to access information
- Weather
- Games
- News feeds
- Advert detection
These are all things I use on a daily basis and I think that they should be included in any media centre, and Apple's offering barely meets any of those.
I don't know if I would buy a mac mini just to use it for as a pvr etc. Sure it would probably be cheaper than a comercial pvr, but why buy a whole bunch of new hardware when you can use old hardware that's lying around?
The only new thing I see here is a stylish remote control.
Media center simplicity?
There are more than one media center out there today that's configurable to be very bare bones and accessible. Just check MythTV and Meedio?
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
The bigger problem here is that /. is accepting CNN (CNN?!?) reviews of existing and well-reported technology products as news.
Guess it's time to start rearranging the deck chairs.... (Or link to a BYTE review of DECchairs!)
I RTFA... and I'm disappointed. If this is going to depend on programs being cached on iDisk, then why do I need a new Mac Mini at all? Lots of the speculation was that the new mini might get a tv tuner card and lots more storage, to give it DVR functionality etc. How is this different from a website that just streams you video? Media center... yeah right. I'll keep my TiVos.
One thing that bugs me is the fact that you're stuck with their display.
So hacksaw it off already. It supports a second display (mirrored). Or you could just wait till they release the new towers and minis and buy one of them and a display of your choice.
actually... what TFA is talking about is a new version of frontrow (2.0) which will be introduced in january along with a new media center edition mac mini (complete with ipod dock built in, possible tivo functionality etc). it also looks like they're prepping lots of new content from several new cable networks and other sources. i wouldn't be surprised if pixar started making exclusive shorts for the itms (itunes music, er, media store)...
Hell, I can't find a standard sized remote 1/5 of the time I want it. Does the idea of a tiny remote scare anyone else? A couch has 10^5 times the number of places for one of these bad boys to hide.
Perhaps Apple will plan ahead and assume the user will lose the remote and put a god damned set of directional arrows on the unit itself. It seems like once a month I encounter a remoteless DVD player with no means of navigation on the main unit. When the first option on the DVD menu is not play it turns into a hell of a time.
Just to clarify this submission for people... it contains two, unrelated links. The first is a CNN article about FrontRow and is old news. The second is speculation on a rumor site about the new version of the mac mini and how Apple will tie in a new video service that is largely inferior to what they are offering now, via iTunes, and that will not work with the new iPods video capabilities. The whole thing sounds rather suspect to me.
Yes. Your point is...?
So sad. It might auctually sell if...you know....it did more than the iPod video. True, its a computer too, but why spend so much when you can buy a MiniMac and an iPod video for less.
Click Click Bloody Click PANCAKES!
For a "media center", my modded xbox with xbox media center (the open source software, not the MS one) does all this and more, and cost significantly less than a mac mini.
Six buttons is too many for an Apple object! I suggest just one button, and the remote can
have a motion detector in it; the user can hold the remote parallel to the appropriate
face of a cube, and click the button. Simplicity itself!
Free, legal music for iTunes users.
The employees create beowolf clusters with mac mini media centers. The Soviets do it too, but no one cares.
Absolutley, I refuse to purchase any machine with the display married to the computer. I kind of think the iMac is fugly, but that's beside the point.
I love their PowerBooks, and if Apple made a decent mid-level desktop without a display (say, a G5 with a Geforce6600 for about $1,000), I would have already purchased it. The Mini is nice and all, but a G4 & 32 meg vid card doesn't cut it for even occasional gaming, and starting at $2,500, the dual G5 PowerMac is total overkill for my needs.
I bet MS is kinda scared about this. At this stage in the game, I think there are a lot of satisfied Apple customers who'd love to bring an 'iPod' quality media device into their living room.
I don't think MicroSoft has built up this sort of goodwill.
In fact, I saw on TV -- "The Apprentice", where they has MicroSoft on the show. Trump said to them, "I use a lot of MicroSoft, and it works." As if that was news.
Not "it works fanTASTIcally!" -- but just a limp-sounding "it works."
Given how much Trump exaggerates, it automatically downgraded his statement to, "on good days it kinda works," -- basically, if something is half-assed, Trump says it is the best thing ever. So I think MicroSoft has a customer-perception problem.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_
he's probably Steve's illegitimate son
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Front Row only works on the latest-generation iMacs, the ones with cameras, and not on PowerMacs or Mac Minis. Somewhat depressing, but they can still change their mind on that. And, of course, the iMacs have video out.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
That is why they are going to buy Sega.
Of course I making it all up out of thin air but what the heck.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
They are also thinking of getting into the music arena, possibly with portable MP3 players, but analysts say this is just crazy.
I hear that it will have lower capacity than its competitors, and lack wireless. As that's lame, no one will buy it.
If your comment title says 'Re: Foo', I'm not likely to read it.
Sega have already been bought up by Sammy. Sega now have a very solid parent company, and without the failed hardware to support, their games are very profitable. Apple probably couldn't buy them if they wanted to.
Astonishingly, your post hasn't been moderated at all. It's almost like...nobody cares.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Yeah, they need to work on Series 3 TiVo. Here's what they need to do:
1) HDTV support? A must these days.
2) Give us high speed networking - Gb ethernet... better yet, some sort of an exchangable network card (even proprietary is OK) for when we get something faster.
3) Faster CPU in it (menus are way too slow to react).
4) Bigger HDs
5) Better media options - make TiVo into a home media center. Right now, I cannot stream music from my desktop for more than a song or two, the connection just kinda dies... And no, I'm pretty sure it's not the network. Release good tools to install on PC's and Linii to drive these media centers if one wants.
Currently no option for steaming movies from the computers either.
6) Free file copying, unencrypted video each way, network TiVo.
TIVO, we're hoping for a lot this time around!
Hey, I'm allowed to dream, am I not?
"If you could only see what I've seen with your eyes..." - Roy Batty
The thinksecret article states that the content will never actually reside on the user's hard drive, instead it will be on their iDisk. Is it just me, or does that suck? You have to have a .Mac account, and there is not going to be an easy way to burn to a disk.
I was looking forward to this announcement, but now I'm not so sure.
Does it support tv tuners?
You know, the mini seems like a better option than the imac for this type of application.
I would mod you down, except I decided I'd rather respond instead. I can't stand posts tagged with something like "but you're all zealots who don't agree with me so you'll mod me down"... Like, what, I'm supposed to read that and think that I'd better not mod you down, lest you be proven right about why you were modded down? No, I'd mod you down because you're trolling, offtopic (by trying to turn the discussion toward the popular politics among Slashdotters and the rating system), and trying to manipulate moderators to ensure that you don't get modded down.
But, sure, OK, you say Windows did it first and it could very well be true as far as I know... In this particular case it's not exactly anything revolutionary, it's just a remote control plus some media player software... But I do believe in credit where it's due.
---GEC
I'm but the humble pupil, seeking to snatch the scratchbuilt pebble from the master's fully articulated hand
I've been searching for a good network device to integrate my computer with my stereo system and television. There's a bunch out there, but no one has executed it gracefully - hence (in my opinion) the relative failure of these devices. The squeezebox products seem nice, but are overpriced and not very multimedia oriented. The situation as it stands seems relatively akin to the pre-ipod mp3 era; I believe apple could probably succeed in pulling off a standalone network media center with the proper interface and a decent pricetag (I'd argue for the $2-300 range) and perhaps a higher end model that offered what I believe would be a unique feature for this line of devices - an integrated capture card with a memory buffer allowing bi-directional media transfer (maybe a later model could include a HD for a full out DVR integrated system). I broke down and recently ordered Hauppagues system, but I know I'm in for a dissapointment.
apple's mcd appears little more than a remote control perhaps with a slick interface - ho hum -- perhaps its a test bed for a network media hardware device though? I hope so.
ôó
I refuse to purchase any machine with the display married to the computer...I love their PowerBooks
I know it's not really what you meant, but technically...
± 29 dB
All Apple need now is a Video equivalent to AirTunes. If they can pull that off, it would be quite impressive.
Now I sit and ponder... is such a beast technically possible for decent quality viewing?
See people, THAT is what happens when your only source is Dvorak. *duck*
I'm going to go create my own technology news site, with blackjack and hookers. You know what? Forget the news site.
Rightly or wrongly, the computer world has been drooling for the convergence of the PC and the loungeroom. So far, that's been a pipe dream - really, it seems the majority of people just don't feel the need for a PC that links into their entertainment systems like that. Which is why stand-alone devices, up to and including TiVo, have worked - while other things, like WinXP MCE, have pretty much been duds.
Given Apple's track record, their understanding of markets, and their ability to package a whole product which does what it claims to in a simple, useful, and aesthetically pleasing way, this would have a better chance than most previous attempts at being _the_ breakthough device they've been looking for.
What you denigrate as "cute packaging" - nice box, nice interface, etc - is essentially the only thing the people pushing for this kind of convergence have to offer.
Which is not to say I agree - despite having a PC permanently in the lounge room, hooked up up to my TV & digital PVR, I really can't see the point. The "converged PC" is a solution to a problem that exists only in the minds of marketers and the wet dreams of futurists - not in the minds of the market itself.
What part of "a well regulated militia" do you not understand?
If Apple put out a mini that came with Front Row and included the remote, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. It would replace my DVD player and I'd get an EyeTV and replace my TiVo as well. I was actually thinking of buying a mini for precisely this purpose, but I'm hesitant to do it without a decent remote control and portal (i.e., Front Row). The beauty of the mini is it's a sub-$600 computer with no frills and takes up next to no space. If they married it to Front Row, they'd easily steal the entry-level (which is, honestly, where average Joe Consumer is) from Windows Media Center, which last I checked, required a behemoth $1000+ PC and is not as simple as FrontRow.
What about a normal remote control isn't usable?
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
1. imacs can mirror to another display (vga; dvi only with vga=>dvi box)
2. screen spanning doctor http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html enables , well, screen spanning on imacs and ibooks
3. dvd player can be set to disable the other display while playing movies
4. front row patches have been available for a while, so you can run it on most newer macs. a guy even has put a mac mini in his (off all cars) f150, complete with front row etc: http://www.leftlanenews.com/?p=818
i personally use a mac mini without display, controlled via VNC (built into OS X 10.4) and a sanyo plv-z2.
Telewest have a pay-per-view movie service called "Front Row" on cable.
Apple had a combination TV computer back in the mid 90s, it was called the Macintosh TV. Also in the mid 90s, Apple released the Quadra 630 with a built in AV tuner card slot with ability to watch TV and do video capture. Also Apple had a Video game system first as well, called the Pipin. So there you go.
Sure... And there's a rumor they're switching to Intel too. And putting out a multi-button mouse.
Hmmm... OK. Just wanted to note that the dual G5 PowerMac starts at $2000, not at $2500. Just in case someone would be mislead by your comment.
Are you seriously suggesting that you should walk over to your machine, put in a CD, and pick up a little remote and navigate through a deep menu hierarchy to find the rip option? Your standing right there - use the mouse
iTunes has a way better interface for doing this stuff than any FrontRow style menu is likely to provide.
Keep FrontRow simple, and targeted at the tasks you need to do across the room on the couch - i.e. finding media, playing it, pausing it, tracking through it.
Then if you need to do something more complicated you've got the whole power of the iLife apps to work with.
so... what is interesting about the media center idea again? Why is it worth the extra $549 over a tivo? ($599 over a DirecTivo R10)? (yeah, yeah, monthly fee...) or for this crowd, why not an XBMC, or a 360?
dorm rooms/small spaces? how bout a dell widescreen with tv input? i can pay to download lost? that's better than my season pass how?. I can watch stuff i got off bittorrent? i guess, but burning dvds (or putting it on the new ipod) isn't that hard. I can see pictures? bleh. ipod dock? i really want to manage my ipod on my tv? Stereo integration. I guess, but barely use my airport express (except as a wireless extender).
convergence has been the future since '92. it still bites. until the content providers (really) open up their libraries, it's not that interesting. or, if someone comes up with a really good living room app. haven't seen that yet either (besides tivo, that's amazing).
The video airport express that runs front row on my existing g5 in the other room - that seems worth 100 bucks. maybe. but that's still rumor.
we now return to your regularly scheduled reality distortion field.
...when every Mac has only one key on the keyboard, a "DWIM" key.
Wait, scratch that. End users are afraid of keyboards. Make it a mouse with a "DWIM" button.
Hang on, scratch that. It'd be simpler if they didn't even have to press the button...
With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
What an iconoclast! I bet everyone who claimed Apple released the first media center PC feels sooo stupid now. =/
"You know why you do not see me styling wit my homies? Because I have no homies!!" -Mojo Jojo
Given Apple's track record, their understanding of markets, and their ability to package a whole product which does what it claims to in a simple, useful, and aesthetically pleasing way, this would have a better chance than most previous attempts at being _the_ breakthough device they've been looking for. Or it means that Apple would enter the market with good but severly overpriced offerings allowing them to take a small marketshare.
I agree. I don't care to spend for an entire PC for the living room when a local area digital cable tv network is all I need :-) A $50 MPEG decoder with decent video out, and a network connection to the server would be adequate.
Also, I'm not interested in owning a big media library (except home movies of course). Being able to rent a movie online would be cool, though. Unlike many people, I don't have cable tv, or even any real clear idea of what's on tv or at the movies. So, whem a movie description sounds interesting, it would be nice to be able to pay a few dollars and just see it, rather than figure out how to get to the dvd rental shop.
seriously, the moderators need some help. This story is neither new, nor has any interesting analysis/discussion.
Web/Blog/Gallery: http://floatingsun.net
In Japan, Apple's wireless networking products are branded as 'AirMac' instead of 'AirPort', as another company (IO-DATA, I think) has the trademark on 'AirPort' for its own WLAN range.
Perhaps Apple will have to use a different name for Front Row in the UK. 'Comfy Chair'?
If your comment title says 'Re: Foo', I'm not likely to read it.
To you and 75% of slashdot posters: then vs. than: than is used in the comparitive - "higher performer than what the PowerPC". "Then" is an adverb related to time only. I'm not being pedantic. Too many people on this forum use the wrong form of the word and it makes them look illiterate.
Why do you people insist on over complicating things by trying to making something that does everything? Haven't you ever heard of the phrase "jack of all trades and a master of none"? This is exactly what Windows Media Centre has turned out to be. It fails as a consumer device for the masses because it is overly complicated and does not do anything particularly well. Now before you all jump down my throat on me on this. I measure the success of a consumer device on not just quality of output but also ease of use.
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
Why? If people like their Tivos, why replace it? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
I must have pissed of a fanboy. Flamebait? Yeah right. It's the truth man. We tried and tried to get support from Apple for making games and one week they were 100% behind it and the next it wasn't their primary focus. Like it or not it's the truth.
I just got a new iMac G5 and it transferred over all Powerbook G4's my files, applications, settings, etc. using the automated software (which pops up the first time you turn your comnputer on). No problems.
It did not automatically authorize the music, however, i had to do that the first time I played a purchased iTunes song. And you will also probably want to go back to your old computer and de-authorize it to free up one of your 5 slots.
-Stu
Why? If people like their Tivos, why replace it? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Who says it is not broken? Perhaps not too broken, just not as good as it could be.
Tivo: Watch any show you scheduled to record that has played on the channels you get, unless the cable provided turns on the feature that auto-deletes it from your drive. Watch it anytime after it airs. Pay for a monthly subscription including 95% content you have no interest in.
IP-TV: Watch any show you purchase, including a much wider selection of choices. Watch it after the download is complete. No monthly subscription is needed and you buy only what you want. This is the ultimate "a la cart." This also allows for competitive pricing/supply and is not limited to how much programming can be crammed over the cable system at one time.
Aside from that, a lot of us are not happy with Tivo. I passed on buying one after considering a number of options because they were no offering what I wanted as much as what their cable company partners wanted. The DRM, the obfuscated features, no editing of content, and specifically making it hard to move shows onto other devices were all considerations, but the kicker was price. I don't want to shell out a huge chunk of money for a Tivo that can burn DVDs, and still have to pay a monthly subscription on top of that. There is plenty of room for someone to out-feature Tivo.
News Update Dec. 5, 2005 Sounds like allot of people hitting our website are waiting for something to happen from Apple. Well we were waiting as well and as one user posted on Mac360.com "the user has the ability to take it and set the standards now". Genie is not a one stop solution like Front Row, it is more user definable and can also command Real and Windows Media Players as well. It's Digital TV vs Internet TV and good cheap content is what we want. We know Apple will take Front Row further and we love what they have done with the first version, so we have incorporate it into our software on top of the first menu so nobody misses out. Future upgrades to Geniecommands in the coming weeks will include a Themes importer. There has also been suggestion of an small screen version in the near future. Talking with distributors of Keyspan Remote they have said that it may come down as much as $20 in the near future. As for the rest of the hardware more choice and lower costs are only just round the corner. So dip your toes in the water is warming for the Mac Media Center. www.Geniecommands.com